Annie Oakley’s shotgun still doing it better
Shotgun built for and gifted to Annie Oakley by London gunsmith in 1888 sells for $258,000 at Morphy Auctions.
DENVER, Pa. – A rare and important Charles Lancaster Gunsmiths (London) shotgun built for Annie Oakley in 1888 and used by the exhibition shooting legend during a significant period of her career has sold for $258,000 at Morphy Auctions. It was a top highlight of Morphy’s September 5-7, 2023 Firearms & Militaria auction, offered during the opening session. The buyer is a private collector who wishes to remain anonymous.
The 12-bore double-barreled hammerless model with 28-inch barrels was gifted to Oakley by Charles Lancaster himself, who reportedly observed the petite sharpshooter at a gun club in England, struggling with a shotgun that appeared too heavy for her. On that occasion, Lancaster offered Oakley advice on wingshooting and, at a later date, presented her with four shotguns: two 20-bores and two 12-bores. The 12-bore in Morphy’s sale, Serial No. 05970, conveyed to its new owner with a 2012 letter from Charles Lancaster Gunmakers Ltd, documenting its history and signed by the company’s director, Ronald Wharton.
Morphy Auctions’ president, Dan Morphy, commented: “This was a very special Annie Oakley gun in that it was known to be one of her favorite and therefore most-used guns. It’s well known that she cared much more about the reliability and quality of her guns than their artistic appearance or factory engraving. It’s evident from the gun’s numerous old repairs that Annie preferred to have it refitted and maintained than to replace it with any of the numerous other guns she had received over the years.”
Experts believe it is very likely that Oakley used the shotgun at the legendary Exposition Universelle (Paris Exposition) of 1889, where she appeared with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and wowed spectators with her uncanny shooting expertise.
Visit Morphy Auctions online at www.morphyauctions.com.
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